Making Waves is delighted to share this month’s playlist, String Quartet Waves!

As an ensemble, the string quartet has been codified such that is a genre unto itself. Perhaps this is due to its typical designation for the most intimate and considered of thoughts, from Beethoven to Shostakovich, and Schoenberg to Crumb. Yet despite its age, it is a genre that is ever contemporary. Championed by quartets such as Kronos Quartet and JACK Quartet, the genre is filled with brilliant new compositions.

In Australia, the string quartet has found another home, in the creations of Sculthorpe and Westlake, and in the work of ensembles such as the Australian String Quartet, Flinders Quartet and Acacia Quartet. As such we are excited to share a collection of contemporary Australian string quartets, filled with contrasting moods, energies and complexities. We hope you can sit back and enjoy this months playlist.

Soundcloud

Hear something that catches your attention? To find out more about a musical work, click on the track name in the playlist and then again on ‘view track’. To find out more about a particular composer, click on their name in the ‘Details’ section below.

Details

1. Angus Davison, The Fine Art of Conversation
   for String Quartet. The performers wish to be uncredited.
2. Stephen de Filippo, Two Pieces
   for Soprano and String Quartet. Performed by Jennifer Barrington (sop), Shaun Lee-Chen (violin), Jasmine Middleton (violin), Rachel Hicks (viola) and Jeremy Garside (cello).
3. Alice Chance, The First Movement
   for String Quartet. Performed by The Enigma Quartet.
4. Sophie van Dijk, Into Ethereal Space
   for String Quartet. Performed by Quart-Ed.
5. Daniel Schricker, String Quartet No. 2 ‘Transfigured Notes’ – 3. ‘You Cannot Be Serious’
   Performed by Australian String Quartet.
6. Philip Eames, String Quartet No. 2 – 2. ‘Rustica’
   Performed by Flinders Quartet for 3MBS Fine Music Melbourne.
7. Sarah Elise Thompson, String Quartet No 1. ‘First’
   Performed by Briar String Quartet.
8. Connor D’Netto, String Quartet No. 1 in D minor
   Performed by Annabelle Swainston (violin), Matilda Watkins (violin), Kieren Welch (viola) and Joshua Rivory (cello).

We’d love to hear about your listening experience! Share your thoughts or send messages of support to our featured composers and performers in the comment box below. We also encourage you to click through to Soundcloud or YouTube to like, comment and subscribe to Making Waves as well as the composers, performers, and presenters featured.

The String Quartet Waves playlist will be featured until 1st of April 2019. All previous playlists from 2015 to present are available in our blog archives for the life of the project, so please do explore the website for previously featured sounds.